MXPA02008231A

MXPA02008231A - Method for visual display of broadcast audio visual programmes and associated visual display device.

Info

Publication number: MXPA02008231A
Application number: MXPA02008231A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Michel Cosmao
Original assignee: Thomson Licensing Sa
Priority date: 2000-02-25
Filing date: 2001-02-19
Publication date: 2002-11-29
Also published as: ES2267716T3; KR100758640B1; FR2805699A1; EP1258140B1; CN100474908C; JP4689131B2; WO2001065844A2; KR20020076300A; DE60121424T2; JP2003525545A; AU2001235713A1; WO2001065844A3; DE60121424D1; CN1406435A; US20030023989A1; EP1258140A2

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for the visual display of audio visual programmes recorded in a digital television receiver set. The method is characterised in that it consists in configuring a sequential list of programmes and, in displaying the recorded elements according to a sequence defined during configuration. Advantageously, the invention includes updating new versions of the programmes. The invention also concerns a digital television receiver set comprising a storage unit for recording programmes and visual display means for display according to a specific order.

Description

PROCESS FOR VISUALLY DISPLAYING DIVIDED AUDIOVISUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND DEVICE ASSOCIATED VISUAL REPRESENTATION DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to the broadcasting and reception of audiovisual transmissions broadcast by a transmitter, and more especially to a process for displaying visually, and a device for acquiring, storing and displaying audiovisual transmissions. The invention applies more particularly to digital television receivers / decoders, more simply referred to as "decoders" hereinafter. The network broadcasts audiovisual broadcasts more commonly referred to as "events" and data designed to refer to them. These data are for example defined in the DVB-SI specifications ("Digital video broadcasting - specification for service information") EN 300 468 VI .3.1 (published by ETSI). These take the form of tables and descriptors describing the objects transmitted over the broadcast network. A service is an uninterrupted series of events broadcast on a specified stream.

Typically, the currents according to the DVB-SI standard contain the following tables: NIT, SDT, EIT and possibly BAT. The NIT table defines the general structure of the network and indicates the list of transport streams and services disseminated. The SDT table gives the additional information related to the services, for example the uncoded name of a service. The EIT table indicates a list of events for each service. This makes it possible in particular to indicate the event that is currently being broadcast. For its part, the BAT table jointly accumulates several services in a package of services that can be sent out by the various broadcasting networks. With the help of the data contained in these tables, the decoder is able to find the current that is broadcasting the event desired by the user. A piece of software called the "Electronic Program Guide" (EPG for brevity) shows the characteristics of the disseminated events such as the title, the topic, a summary, the dissemination time. In this way the user's choice is facilitated. If the user is absent, the decoder can register the event. For this purpose, it is provided with a hard disk that stores the Audiovisual transmissions in a compressed format. A menu subsequently makes it possible to visually display the contents of the memory. A system for recording audiovisual transmissions with the help of a PC is described in the international patent application number W097 / 36422. This system uses a PC as a means of controlling a video recorder to store transmissions. A table displayed on a screen presents the user with the various records made. The user can then choose one that he wishes to observe. Another recording or recording system is described in the European patent application EP 942,600. This system shows the particular characteristic of recording the transmissions on an optical disc. The system contains a table that makes it possible to determine the address on the disk of the various recorded transmissions. These diverse systems show that with the increasing memory capacity that the receivers of the audiovisual transmissions, the user can record more and more events. Therefore, the step of selecting from the list of events in memory becomes prolonged. It is therefore important to optimize it.

The objective of the invention is a process for visually displaying audiovisual transmissions, having been previously broadcast transmissions from a broadcasting center, received in a digital television receiver, and recorded in a memory associated with the receiver, characterized in that it comprises within of the receiver one step of configuring a sequential list of transmissions and one step of visually displaying the transmissions recorded in the order defined during the configuration step. In this way, the invention makes it possible for the user to directly show the recorded events without using it to select each recording at a time. The selection is made in advance in the course of a step of assigning a serial number, and remains active for all requests for visual representation until the next assignment step. The invention makes it possible to create truly personalized channels where the visual representation of the recordings is made according to a sequencing that meets the preferences of a user. A custom channel can correspond to a user. It is also possible to configure a custom channel for a user category, children for example, or for a specified object, movies per ** £ * i example, or even in order to show only short events, ads for example. The object of the invention is also a receiver of digital audio-visual transmissions, comprising a means for receiving the data broadcast from a network, and including at least the audiovisual transmissions and the identifiers of the transmissions, a means for recording the data received by the receiving means, and a memory for recording audiovisual transmissions, characterized in that the memory also contains elements for the sequential sequencing of the recordings, and in that the receiver comprises a visual representation means showing the transmissions recorded in the order determined by the chaining elements. According to one modality, the visual representation of the recordings is facilitated by the navigation means associated with the user commands such as: fast forward, fast backwards, show the next recording, show the previous recording. Other features and advantages of the following invention will emerge from the description of the following exemplary embodiments, taken as non-limiting examples, with reference to the appended figures in which: • Figure 1 represents a decoder implementing the invention, "Figure 2 represents a flow diagram of the various steps of the process according to the invention. • Figure 3 shows a menu for configuring a personalized channel, • Figure 4 represents the contents of a part of the memory according to the invention, • Figure 5 shows a memory for visually displaying a personalized channel, • Figure 6 is a diagram of synchronization of the visual representation of the recordings. A decoder according to the invention will first be described. Next, as represented by FIG. 2, the various steps of the invention will be described, namely: a step of configuring a personalized channel, a recording step of the selected events, a step of certain recordings called "recurrent" and a step to visually display the recordings. A receiver according to the invention is described in figure 1. The receiver is, for example, a decoder according to the DVB specifications. This uses the transport layer ISO / IEC 13818-1. The receiver is connected to an antenna 1, the same connected to a tuner of the decoder. The signal provided by the tuner is demodulated by a demodulator 3. The demodulated data are deinterleaved and corrected by an error correction circuit 4 and sent to a demultiplexer 5. The latter comprises a certain number of filters programmed by a microprocessor 23 as a function of the various applications supported by the receiver. The microprocessor 23 is connected to a memory 12 comprising the operating system, as well as the resident or downloaded programs to implement the applications such as an EPG. The memory is illustrated in the form of a simple block, but physically it can comprise several blocks of different types; RAM random access memory, ROM read only memory, reprogrammable EEPROM or FLASH memory. He The microprocessor is also connected to a clock circuit 27. A character generator 15 allows the generation of control menus or graphics related to the parameters of the receiver or to a particular application. The generated video signal is multiplexed with one of the video signals originating from the video decoder 17 to a SCART socket connected to a television 22. The multiplexing circuit 20 is operated by the microprocessor 23. For clarity of the diagram, only the most important connections of the microprocessor 23 are illustrated. The audio and video sections or the packets filtered by the demultiplexer are stored in predefined areas of a buffer 6. The receiver also comprises a hard disk 25 connected to the microprocessor with the help of a interconnection 26 that allows the rapid transfer of information. The hard disk is advantageously integrated with the decoder, this can be proposed in the form of a separate piece of equipment. The disc holder can be possibly removable. The capacity of the disc makes it possible to record at least several hours of audiovisual transmissions in a compressed format (MPEG 2 for example). The receiver is also adjusted with a remote control 24, connected to the microprocessor by an infrared link. This remote control is set with the specific buttons for the operation of a personalized channel, among other things it has the "CHANNEL SETUP" and "CHANNEL READING" buttons. Initially, the user specifies their choice in a configuration step of their personalized channel. The user runs the configuration software with the help of the CHANNEL CONFIGURATION button of his remote control or by selecting a function from a work menu. Initially, the software asks the user to enter a personalized channel ID "IDENT". This identifier is a digit from 0 to 9, 2 for example. After the validation of the identifier, the configuration software shows on the television screen the configuration menu represented in figure 3. This screen persuades the user to select the events announced in the EIT tables. In an especially advantageous way, the visual representation of the events is carried out with the help of an Electronic Program Guide. { EPG for brevity). An EPG is a piece of software that analyzes the tables broadcast according to the DVB-SI standards and extracts the information that the user provides the individuals with respect to the various current or upcoming events. The EPG presents the events in a menu by means of the indication of the title, the duration and the service that spreads the event. The user navigates around this menu with the help of the buttons on their remote control corresponding to the arrows -. -,? -, I and t. He thus places the course on the desired event and presses the "validate" button in order to select it. The EPG also presents the topics of the events that the user can select, for example: "documentary about the sea", "caricature", "ad" or "police series". The user can also specify an event in the form of a time lapse of a specified service. He then selects the option "time lapse / service" and manually enters the day, time and station of his choice manually on his remote control. In all cases and optionally, he can program the duration of the recording by pressing a function button. The selections are shown in the column on the right, a number of series assigned to each selection. At the beginning, the configuration software shows the list of selections made during the previous execution. Advantageously, the screen indicates if the selected event has been recorded (bold selection) and its effective duration and if the event is currently being recorded (scintillation). When the user navigates around his list of selections, additional functions are offered to him such as: deleting a selection, moving a selection, modifying a selection, and so on. Each displacement of an item in the list causes a renumbering of the elements within the custom channel, and optionally, a release of the memory space occupied by a recording after a request to suppress the corresponding selection. A delete command performed just after entering the identifier of a custom channel, causes its deletion and the release of the entire memory area occupied by its data. Finally, a function makes it possible for the user to close the list of his selections. The software then terminates its execution by updating the non-volatile memory with the data emanating from the configuration step. In the example illustrated by figure 3, the personalized channel 1 comprises the following selections: firstly "Peter Pan" (the selection is recorded, duration: 1 hour 45 minutes), second "The É ^ jt ^ y Tele-Kids "(the selection is not recorded, the duration shown is that desired by the user), third, cartoons (the selection is currently being recorded, the user has requested 20 minutes) In a first mode, the user presses buttons specific to execute the commands, being the buttons for example on your remote control. Another mode consists of the screen that visually shows a strip provided with icons corresponding to the various functions that the user activates when selecting them, with the help of the arrows on his remote control and a "VALIDATE" button. The data emanating from the configuration step are stored in the arrays represented in Figure 4. An array called the "channel array" indexes the data areas reserved for each custom channel. This first arrangement contains triples that include: the custom channel identifier (in the example: a digit from 0 to 9), the address of the array that contains the data of this channel, and the number of events selected for this channel. The other arrays called "fix selections" or -Ci contain the reference data for the selections of a channel. The array has the following fields: j? iA and. yX ^ - event identifier, station identifier, scheduled event duration, title / lapse / topic flag (TSP), - address and recording data. The data in the selection array is stored in the order specified by the user. The index of the array element is a serial number. As a variant, the array contains another column that indicates the serial number, the elements can then be registered in any order. It is also possible to use a chained structure: each element of the array specifies the reference of the next element and the previous element. The event identifier is either its title, or its identification number with respect to the broadcaster (8-bit number for example) or a transmission topic, or a combination of a service reference and a time lapse. The choice between these three possibilities is determined by the state of the TSP flag. This flag takes the value "T" if the event is selected via its title, "S" if the event is selected via its time lapse over a specified service, "P" if the event is selected via its topic. The duration of the recording of the event is optional, the value of this field is initialized to "0000" and remains in this value if the user does not use this option. The address and recording data are: - the recording start address "Adr_Evi. J", the value of the bookmark at the time of recording "Pt_Evi.j", the duration of the recording "Dur_Evi.j", - optionally, a version number for the event. The configuration software creates as many selections arrangements as there are custom channels. Figure 4 represents arrangements for three custom channels, one of which (number 3) still does not contain selections. The step of configuring a custom channel that has finished, the decoder runs a routine to program the demultiplexer, to detect the appearance in the currents of the various selected events, and undertake the recording thereof on the hard disk of the decoder. If the event is selected via the title or the topic, the data provided by the DVB-SI tables provide the programming routine with the information (service number, dissemination time) making it possible for it to be searched. If the event is selected via a lapse of time, the decoder schedules its clock with the initial time of this time lapse. At the determined moment, it registers the data transmitted in the service specified by the user. The recording of an event on a hard disk is done according to a well-known technique which therefore does not need to be described. The recording is made starting from the address (Adr_Evi. J) determined at the beginning of the recording by the hard disk management software, this software being integrated within the interconnection 26. If the value Adr_Evi. is zero, the event is not recorded. The events that are multiplexed, the pointers (Pt_Evi.j) define the direction to write in the course of the recording. When the event is completely recorded, the value of the flag is initialized to that of Adr_Evi. j. If the value is not zero, and if the value of Pt_Ev? . j is different from that of Adr_Evi. j, then the event is currently being recorded. The duration of the recording is specified by the user. If he does not do it like that, the duration is that of the event spread. If the user specifies an event via its title or its topic and if the duration specified by it exceeds the duration of a first recording, the decoder can record at least the start of a second event corresponding to the criteria. For example, if the user requests 20 minutes of recording of "cartoons" and if the broadcasts of such events last 5 minutes, the decoder can record 4 events corresponding to this topic. Advantageously, the memory area configured to record the duration specified by the user is handled cyclically. In this way, the memory always contains the last broadcast events corresponding to the user's choices. At the end of each recording, the version number, if it exists, and the effective duration of the recording (Dur_Evi.j) are written to the arrangement. The updating of a recording is made when the corresponding event is recurrent. The broadcaster of audiovisual transmissions provides an indication of the recurrence or otherwise of the event in a specific field. If it is recurrent, it is associated with a version number that changes every time the content of the event is altered. In this case, during each recording the number of versions updated in the selection array. The events are customarily broadcast several times identically according to the carousel technique. If an event is not recurring, it is recorded only during the first broadcast received by the decoder. After the recording of this event, the demultiplexer is programmed to ignore new broadcasts. If an event is recurrent, the decoder compares the broadcast version number with that registered in the selection array. If an event whose identifier corresponds to that of a recording, but whose version is different from that recorded, is broadcast, it must then be recorded. In this case, the event previously in the memory is deleted and the value of the version in the selection array is updated. Such is the case, for example, with the "8 o'clock news" or "weather forecasts" as shown by the arrangement in figure 4. If the selection was made via a lapse of time, the event broadcast at this time it is considered by the decoder as having no version. -iLÍlA +? .J! áA * y..í. h? ^ A. ^ ~ ** M * L-y.M »y. yX ^ - In order to show the content of a personalized channel, the user presses the "CHANNEL READING" button, which runs the visual representation software. The software visually displays on the screen a menu that presents all the channels available in the decoder, while what per items for each channel accommodates the number of selections for which there is a recording available in the memory. The user selects a channel, the screen shown in figure 5 is then shown. This screen comprises two elements: the first recording of the selection list, shown on the upper part of the screen (40) and a function strip (41) that appears at the bottom of the screen. This strip comprises five icons corresponding to the basic functions. The first (42) makes it possible for the user to visually display the first recording of the personalized channel. The second (43) and the fifth (46) make it possible to select or visually display the recording that precedes or follows one currently on the list of selections. The third (44) and the fourth (45) make it possible to go back and forth faster. Other functions that are not represented in figure 5 are also possible, such as the freezing of image, mute mode, access to interactivity elements stored at the same time as recording, and so on. Just as for the configuration step, a first mode mode consists of the remote control that is set with the function buttons. A second mode includes the activation of the functions with the help of the icons selected on the screen, with the help of the arrows and the "VALIDATE" button. The number of the recording (47) that is currently being displayed appears in the upper left part of the screen. The number and the strip can disappear when you press a function button. The visual representation software operates in the following way. Once the user has dialed in the identifier IDENT, the software looks for the fix for the value of IDENT and obtains the address Adr_AREA_Ci and the number of selections of this channel. This initializes a variable represented by a record in the working memory called "NUM" with the value "1". This variable represents the serial number of the selection that is currently being displayed. If the user has requested it this way, this variable is shown on the screen. The software then searches through the arrangement of selections for the address of iii íl - iiliit ii l iiiiiiín tlíiá duration of the first recording. This initializes a pointer to read the recording with the address value Adr_Evi. j, and shows the data read. If the software receives a command corresponding to icons 43 or 46, it reads the next item or the previous recording in the arrangement, and visually displays the corresponding recording. In this way, it adds a unit to the NUM variable or deduces one from it. If the software receives a command corresponding to icons 43 or 44, the reading is accelerated or the value of the pointer is decreased, which shows the fast reverse of the recording. If the software receives the command corresponding to icon 42, it points back to the first recording in the selection list. Figure 6 shows the visual representation of the personalized channel number 1 over time. At the moment marked Tl, the user has selected the command to read the next recording, which cuts out the visual representation of the movie "Peter Pan" and immediately brings the start of the transmission "The Tele-Kíds". In the end, four cartoons are shown for a total duration of 20 minutes. At the end of 20 minutes, the screen again shows the first recording: Peter Pan.

Z - As a variant, the decoder that is provided with a bidirectional link that allows it to connect to a network, it can download video streams from the network. These sequences are recorded on the hard disk with the help of a download routine. These appear in the configuration menu with the distinctive element. It is also possible to select a time span by specifying a network address instead of a service reference. At the indicated time, the decoder establishes a connection to the indicated address and downloads the sequence. If the service reference is URL ("Universal Resource Locator") this video sequence can for example be an HTML page. The invention is of course not limited to the modalities just described. In particular, the memory technology of the recordings can be optical (recordable CD-ROM, DVD-ROM for example), magnetic (cartridge), or equivalent technology.

Claims

1. A process for visually displaying audiovisual transmissions, the transmissions have been previously broadcast from a broadcast center, received in a digital television receiver and recorded in a memory associated with the receiver, characterized the process because it comprises within the receiver a step input by of the user, of a sequential list of at least two transmissions, a step of receiving and recording of at least one transmission identified during the entry step and a step of visually displaying the transmissions according to the list defined during the entry step .

2. The process for visually displaying audiovisual transmissions according to claim 1, characterized in that the configuration step consists of assigning a serial number to each transmission of the sequential list.

3. The process for visually displaying audiovisual transmissions according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the configuration step comprises a presentation step to "" -1- - - ^^^ - ..- JHí ^^^ ^ i ^, user of the identifier of at least a plurality of data whose broadcast is announced, a step of selection by the user of a group of data within the plurality, and a step of creating the sequential list of transmissions.

4. The process for visually displaying the audiovisual transmissions according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the step of visual representation comprises the following successive steps: - visually displaying a recorded transmission, - the detection of a command supplied by the user, - in response to said command, the search for a transmission located sequentially just before or just after one visually shown, - the visual representation of the transmission found.

5. The process for visually displaying the audiovisual transmissions according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the transmissions are referred by an identifier and an update indicator, and because they also comprise a step of recording in the memory the identifier and the update indicator , whose step is activated during the recording of the broadcast, and a I ¡ s step of recording a broadcast transmission, whose recording is referenced by the same identifier, and, the value of whose update indicator is different from the value of the broadcast broadcast.

6. The process for visually displaying audiovisual transmissions according to claim 5, characterized in that the update indicator is a version number given by the broadcast center.

7. The process for visually displaying the audiovisual transmissions according to claim 3, characterized in that the selection of the data is carried out via the title of a disseminated data item, via a topic or via a time lapse associated with a service reference.

8. The process for visually displaying audiovisual transmissions according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the configuration step contains a step of entering a sequential list number. ¿A ^ L ^ i ^ Jjá

9. A receiver of digital audiovisual transmissions comprising a means for receiving broadcast data from a network, and including at least the audiovisual transmissions and the identifiers of the transmissions, a means for recording the data received by the receiving means, and a memory for recording the audiovisual transmissions, characterized in that it comprises a means of entering into the memory of an ordered list of transmissions, the list contains control elements for the recording medium and elements for the sequential chaining of the recordings, and a screen medium that shows recorded transmissions of the order determined by the chaining elements.

10. The receiver of audiovisual transmissions according to claim 9, characterized in that it also comprises means of visual representation of the identifier of at least one broadcast transmission, and a means of selection by the user, of at least this identifier for the recording of the transmission in the sequential list of recordings.

11. The receiver of audiovisual transmissions according to claim 9, characterized in that it also comprises means for detecting the variation of a value of the update indicator, the detection means triggers a means for updating the recording.

12. The receiver of audiovisual transmissions according to claim 9, characterized in that it also comprises an input means of a maximum recording duration and because the recording medium stops when a maximum recording duration is reached.

13. The receiver of audiovisual transmissions according to claim 9, characterized in that it also comprises a means for selecting the recording preceding or subsequent to one that is currently being shown, the selection means triggers the visual representation of the selected recording.

14. The audiovisual transmission receiver according to any of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that the The chaining element comprises a serial number associated with each recording.

15. The receiver of audiovisual transmissions according to claim 14, characterized in that it comprises a means of visual representation of the serial number of the recording that is currently being displayed.